Here's What A Therapist Has To Say About Hailey Baldwin’s Quote About Marriage Being “Hard”

Attention, Jailey fans! Hailey Baldwin and Justin Bieber have graced us with their beauty on the cover of Vogue's March issue, and in their first joint interview, they got incredibly real about their relationship. They talked about the friendship that started it all, the first time they dated (which they implied ended in some sort of betrayal that they're still working through), and their marriage — which apparently isn't as easy as they make it look. An expert analyzed Hailey Baldwin’s quote about marriage being "hard,"and according to him, she nailed it.

While Justin and Hailey's relationship seems like it was a complete whirlwind romance, it wasn't — not completely, anyway. The two met back in 2009 when Hailey's uncle Alec Baldwin got her tickets to meet the then-teen pop star on the Today Show. They crossed paths again years later at Hillsong church and became best friends over time, Hailey said in their interview with Vogue. They dated for a brief period three years ago, but they had a pretty major falling out. They saw each other again at a conference in Miami in June 2018, and within a month, they were engaged. They tied the knot in November 2018 at a lower Manhattan courthouse and are in the midst of planning a larger-scale wedding ceremony.

All relationships take work, and Hailey's quote about her marriage to Justin in their Vogue cover interview proves their relationship is no different:

"It’s just that I’m fighting to do this the right way, to build a healthy relationship. I want people to know that. We’re coming from a really genuine place. But we’re two young people who are learning as we go. I’m not going to sit here and lie and say it’s all a magical fantasy. It’s always going to be hard. It’s a choice," she said. "You don’t feel it every single day. You don’t wake up every day saying, 'I’m absolutely so in love and you are perfect.' That’s not what being married is. But there’s something beautiful about it anyway — about wanting to fight for something, commit to building with someone. We’re really young, and that’s a scary aspect. We’re going to change a lot. But we’re committed to growing together and supporting each other in those changes. That’s how I look at it. At the end of the day, too, he’s my best friend. I never get sick of him."

Even though she's only 22 years old, it seems like Hailey has a pretty on-point grasp on how exactly a marriage is supposed to work. "Hailey's Baldwin's quote about her marriage is one of the most mature responses I have ever heard from anyone who is married... and especially from someone her age," Dr. Gary Brown, a prominent Los Angeles-based therapist who's worked with couples for over 25 years, tells Elite Daily. "She is displaying a level of wisdom about what it really means to be in a marriage that is growing."

Falling in love with someone is easy, Dr. Brown says. Taking that love, and turning it into something strong that can survive hardship and changes in each other's lives, is the more difficult part — which is what usually happens when you vow to spend the rest of your lives together. "Couples who tend to make it in the long run, understand that change is going to happen," he explains. "This takes a level of commitment to growing together, through the good times and the bad. Clearly, Hailey is mature enough to understand this. She gets that it is going to take perseverance and courage to sustain and grow their love."

It's easy to judge Hailey and Justin for jumping into marriage, but Dr. Brown sees it differently. "Her quote indicates that both she and Justin are going into this with their eyes wide open," he says. "It is clear that both she and Justin's love for each other is now going to another level." They're not just living their lives together, side by side, as two young kids in love. "They are now building a strong psychological foundation for their marriage." Here's hoping that strong foundation is one that'll last a lifetime. I'm rooting for ya, Mr. and Mrs. Bieber!